Coke Recalls Drinking Glasses Over Cadmium Concerns

Coca-Cola is recalling more than 80,000 glasses after tests found the toxic metal cadmium was used in the decoration on the outside of the glass.

The cans, sold in sets of four, were decorated to look like a can of soda -- Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero or Sprite. More than 22,000 sets were sold since March, company officials said.
The recall comes less than six months after McDonald's was forced to recall 12 million Shrek drinking glasses because regulators found they contained cadmium as well. The same company,
Arc International, made the recalled "Shrek" glasses and the Coca-Cola glasses.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission later said the amount of cadmium found in the glasses would not have resulted in a recall under a new set of standards being put forward by the agency.

"While recent tests indicated some cadmium in the decoration on the outside of the glass, the low levels detected do not pose a safety hazard or health threat," Coca-Cola company officials said in a statement.

In both instances, the toxic material, which can cause kidney, lung and bone damage, was only found on the material outside of the glass. The CPSC has warned manufacturers to avoid cadmium in children's products.

The recall comes after an investigation found that the all-red Coke glass shed three times more cadmium than the Puss in Boots "Shrek" glass that worried federal regulators the most.

The Coke Zero and Diet Coke glasses did not exhibit the same problem, the story said.